Scale invariant correlations and the distribution of prime numbers

Negative correlations in the distribution of prime numbers are found to display a scale invariance. This occurs in conjunction with a nonstationary behavior. We compare the prime number series to a type of fractional Brownian motion which incorporates both the scale invariance and the nonstationary behavior. Interesting discrepancies remain. The scale invariance also appears to imply the Riemann hypothesis and we study the use of the former as a test of the latter.Comment: 13 pages, 8 figures, version to appear in J. Phys.

Ranks of quadratic twists of elliptic curves

We report on a large-scale project to investigate the ranks of elliptic curves in a quadratic twist family, focussing on the congruent number curve. Our methods to exclude candidate curves include 2-Selmer, 4-Selmer, and 8-Selmer tests, the use of the Guinand-Weil explicit formula, and even 3-descent in a couple of cases. We find that rank 6 quadratic twists are reasonably common (though still quite difficult to find), while rank 7 twists seem much more rare. We also describe our inability to find a rank 8 twist, and discuss how our results here compare to some predictions of rank growth vis-à-vis conductor. Finally we explicate a heuristic of Granville, which when interpreted judiciously could predict that 7 is indeed the maximal rank in this quadratic twist family

Machine-assisted Cyber Threat Analysis using Conceptual Knowledge Discovery

Over the last years, computer networks have evolved into highly dynamic and interconnected environments, involving multiple heterogeneous devices and providing a myriad of services on top of them. This complex landscape has made it extremely difficult for security administrators to keep accurate and be effective in protecting their systems against cyber threats. In this paper, we describe our vision and scientific posture on how artificial intelligence techniques and a smart use of security knowledge may assist system administrators in better defending their networks. To that end, we put forward a research roadmap involving three complimentary axes, namely, (I) the use of FCA-based mechanisms for managing configuration vulnerabilities, (II) the exploitation of knowledge representation techniques for automated security reasoning, and (III) the design of a cyber threat intelligence mechanism as a CKDD process. Then, we describe a machine-assisted process for cyber threat analysis which provides a holistic perspective of how these three research axes are integrated together

Arithmetic properties of blocks of consecutive integers

This paper provides a survey of results on the greatest prime factor, the number of distinct prime factors, the greatest squarefree factor and the greatest m-th powerfree part of a block of consecutive integers, both without any assumption and under assumption of the abc-conjecture. Finally we prove that the explicit abc-conjecture implies the Erd\H{o}s-Woods conjecture for each k>2.Comment: A slightly corrected and extended version of a paper which will appear in January 2017 in the book From Arithmetic to Zeta-functions published by Springe

Granzyme K Activates Protease-Activated Receptor-1

Granzyme K (GrK) is a trypsin-like serine protease that is elevated in patients with sepsis and acute lung inflammation. While GrK was originally believed to function exclusively as a pro-apoptotic protease, recent studies now suggest that GrK may possess other non-cytotoxic functions. In the context of acute lung inflammation, we hypothesized that GrK induces pro-inflammatory cytokine release through the activation of protease-activated receptors. The direct effect of extracellular GrK on PAR activation, intracellular signaling and cytokine was assessed using cultured human lung fibroblasts. Extracellular GrK induced secretion of IL-6, IL-8 and MCP-1 in a dose- and time-dependent manner in lung fibroblasts. Heat-inactivated GrK did not induce cytokine release indicating that protease activity is required. Furthermore, GrK induced activation of both the ERK1/2 and p38 MAP kinase signaling pathways, and significantly increased fibroblast proliferation. Inhibition of ERK1/2 abrogated the GrK-mediated cytokine release. Through the use of PAR-1 and PAR-2 neutralizing antibodies, it was determined that PAR-1 is essential for GrK-induced IL-6, IL-8 and MCP-1 release. In summary, extracellular GrK is capable of activating PAR-1 and inducing fibroblast cytokine secretion and proliferation

Towards automated composition of convergent services: a survey

A convergent service is defined as a service that exploits the convergence of communication networks and at the same time takes advantage of features of the Web. Nowadays, building up a convergent service is not trivial, because although there are significant approaches that aim to automate the service composition at different levels in the Web and Telecom domains, selecting the most appropriate approach for specific case studies is complex due to the big amount of involved information and the lack of technical considerations. Thus, in this paper, we identify the relevant phases for convergent service composition and explore the existing approaches and their associated technologies for automating each phase. For each technology, the maturity and results are analysed, as well as the elements that must be considered prior to their application in real scenarios. Furthermore, we provide research directions related to the convergent service composition phases

Non-Fraunhofer Interference Pattern in Inhomogeneous Ferromagnetic Josephson Junctions

Generic conditions are established for producing a non-Fraunhofer response of the critical supercurrent subject to an external magnetic field in ferromagnetic Josephson junctions. Employing the quasiclassical Keldysh-Usadel method, we demonstrate theoretically that an inhomogeneity in the magnitude of the energy scales in the system, including Thouless energy, exchange field and temperature gradient normal to the transport direction, influences drastically the standard Fraunhofer pattern. The exotic non-Fraunhofer response, similar to that observed in recent experiments, is described in terms of an intricate interplay between multiple '0-pi'-states and is related to the appearance of proximity vortices.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures. To Appear in Physical Review Letter

Tuberculosis in Dr Granville's mummy: a molecular re-examination of the earliest known Egyptian mummy to be scientifically examined and given a medical diagnosis

‘Dr Granville's mummy’ was described to the Royal Society of London in 1825 and was the first ancient Egyptian mummy to be subjected to a scientific autopsy. The remains are those of a woman, Irtyersenu, aged about 50, from the necropolis of Thebes and dated to about 600 BC. Augustus Bozzi Granville (1783–1872), an eminent physician and obstetrician, described many organs still in situ and attributed the cause of death to a tumour of the ovary. However, subsequent histological investigations indicate that the tumour is a benign cystadenoma. Histology of the lungs demonstrated a potentially fatal pulmonary exudate and earlier studies attempted to associate this with particular disease conditions. Palaeopathology and ancient DNA analyses show that tuberculosis was widespread in ancient Egypt, so a systematic search for tuberculosis was made, using specific DNA and lipid biomarker analyses. Clear evidence for Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex DNA was obtained in lung tissue and gall bladder samples, based on nested PCR of the IS6110 locus. Lung and femurs were positive for specific M. tuberculosis complex cell-wall mycolic acids, demonstrated by high-performance liquid chromatography of pyrenebutyric acid–pentafluorobenzyl mycolates. Therefore, tuberculosis is likely to have been the major cause of death of Irtyersenu